This invention relates to the art of sewing machine accessories and, more particularly, to a device for threading a mounted sewing machine needle.
It is of course well known that the eye of a sewing machine needle is adjacent the pointed lower end of the needle. In most sewing machines, mounting of the needle positions the eye for the axis thereof to extend in the direction from the front to the rear of the machine. As is further well known, sewing machines include a foot pad which is supported for reciprocable displacement toward and away from the sewing surface of the machine and beneath which material is moved as it is being sewed. The foot pad is supported by a vertical post disposed behind the sewing machine needle in the direction from the front toward the rear of the machine, and the foot pad includes laterally spaced apart foot plates which extend forwardly of the needle on laterally opposite sides thereof.
Heretofore, sewing machine needles have been manually threaded by introducing an end of the thread through the needle eye in the direction toward the foot pad support post therebehind, and then grasping the free end of the thread between the forefinger and thumb and pulling the thread laterally of the needle to complete the threading operation. In addition to the difficulty of introducing the free end of the thread through the needle eye, as the result of such factors as the size of the eye, the user's vision, and the difficulty of holding the thread steady, the space between the back side of the needle and the support post for the foot is rather small, whereby it is difficult to grasp the free end of the thread once it is pushed through the eye. Adding to the latter difficulty is the fact that the thread must be held by the fingers of one hand on the front side of the needle to assure against withdrawal of the free end from the eye while the fingers of the second hand are manipulated to grasp and pull the free end laterally of the needle.